The PRACTICES OF THE IGOROTS IN TABUK - garph · 2016-06-24 · The PRACTICES OF THE IGOROTS IN...

International Journal of Advanced Research in ISSN: 2278-6236

Management and Social Sciences Impact Factor: 6.284

Vol. 5 | No. 6 | June 2016 www.garph.co.uk IJARMSS | 166

The PRACTICES OF THE IGOROTS IN TABUK

Zorayda C. Gavino, Kalinga-Apayao State University, Kalinga, Philippines

Abstract: This study was conducted in Tabuk, Kalinga. It covered the Municipality of Tabuk

consisting of forty barangays. Although the population of Tabuk is a mixture of different

ethnic groups, they are one among the greatest group in number which is composed of pure

Igorots of Mountain Province who started migrating to the place between 1922 to 1923.

This research endeavored to look into the practices of the Igorots in Tabuk which

christianization and education have not succeeded to alter up to the present time. Among

these practices are those on accident, house counstruction, sickness, childbirth, marriage,

and death.

The respondents are the Igorot old folks who are knowlegeable in giving information

regarding their living practices. Other informants were professionals who are knowledgeable

of the culture. These informants were visited in their respective houses by the researcher

during the duration of the study. When there were social gatherings or special occasions

celebrated by the Igorots in said place of study, the researcher took opportunity to attend

and participate in their celebration. This was supplemented by tape recording, documentary

and library techniques.

Descriptive survey method of research in gathering, analyzing and interpreting the data was

done. This method was used to present the prevailing conditions and facts on the practices

of the Igorots in Tabuk. Contextual analysis and interpretation in accordance with objectives

of the study was employed.

The findings of the study revealed that the practices of the Igorots in Tabuk related to

accident are sakeb, liplipet, daw-es, and sabosab while that of house construction are the

demeg, bakid, lasag, and kinaw-ang. The practices on sickness are abat and senga. On

childbirth, a woman delivering a baby should not show any expression of pain. On marriage,

the present practice is to combine the traditional and Christian practices characterized by

singing, dancing, drinking and eating while on death they observe ngilin and perform inesa

ceremony, bakid, lapsag, kinaw-ang for the dead.

The result of the study will provide teachers and social workers working among the Igorots in

Tabuk be acquainted with their practices along accident, house construction, sickness, child-




birth, marriage, and death for needed adjustments in the development programs being

implemented in the place and to avoid conflicts in their work.

Keywords: IGOROTS, Death practices of Igorots, Traditions of Igorots, Kalinga

INTRODUCTION

Literature has truly a great function in the society for it speaks of life of a certain time and of

a certain place. It is necessary to know and understand the customs and traditional practices

of the people in the society they are living. Because it is only understanding that one learns

to appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of the culture behind it.

The Igorots of Tabuk should learn and know their traditional practices not in terms of its

uses but as a reflection of their way of life, thus they will be able to realize that they have a

culture which is unique and distinct from other Filipino cultures. Because culture has a

salient function in society, these written down practices of the Igorots in Tabuk is for the

people to read and understand.

OBJECTIVE

1. What are the practices of the Igorots as to accident, house construction, sickness,

childbirth, marriage and death?

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

1. What are their practices as to accident, houseconstruction, sickness, childbirth,

marriage and death?

Along with the beliefs and superstitions of the Igorots in Tabuk emerged their practices

which christianization and education have not yet fully succeeded to alter even up to the

present. Among these indigenous practices are those on accident, house construction,

sickness, childbirth, marriage and death.

Accident

In the occurrence of accident, the Igorots in Tabuk perform rituals in order to cleanse the

bad luck encountered. If a person was able to survive from accident, the person involve

together perform the accident rituals.

Sakeb. This is the first ritual performed. This is done to cleanse the bad luck encountered by

the victim. A salted meat is offered while an old intellectual leader recites aloud the

following:52




Na-ay naala nan sakeb mo, maid

Kasin domatdateng is masaksakeban.

(Translation)

Your sakeb is performed

We hope there will be no more sakeb

to happen again.

Liplipet. This is done immediately right after sakeb. A small chicken is butchered. The bile of

the chicken should indicate better luck or blessings to the person who met an accident. The

chicken should be cooked in a pinikpikan style and offered while the old intellectual leader

recites aloud the following:53

Na-ay naala nan liplipet mo ay

Naekban et adi domadateng nan buwisit mo.

(Translation)

Your liplipet is done

It ends here and your bad luck

will never come back.

Daw-es. The daw-es is done right after liplipet. A dog is butchered. The dog’s meat is for

bingit or to be distributed to the people who are present in the ritual. The person who had

met an accident is not allowed to eat the dog’s meat, only the old men. The boiled head of

the dog together with the tangili ya bowaya are placed in a linga-o or the so-called

winnower which offered is while an intellectual leader or an elder recites the following:54

Sapon di Palis Palis: Palis, ipalis mo’Y dakes ken tona

Tomo: Tomoem di buwisit

Solol: Sololem di dakes

Anga: Anga-angem di dakes ken tona

(Translation)

Palis: Palis, stop the evil to this person

Tomo: Tomo, drive the bad luck

Solol: Solol, stop the evil

Anga: Anga, stop the evil to this person




Sabosab. The sabosab is held after three days have gone by. A pig is butchered. The meat of

the pig is for bingit and the people to eat. The head of the pig is set aside to be eatenby the

people during the night or lablabi of sobasob. Again a prayer is offered. An old folk recites

the prayer of sabosab that runs this way.55

Na-ay masabosab nan dinaw-es mo

et igasat mo silagbon di pilak

ya talaken di baboy.

(Translation)

The sabosab from your daw-es is

finished. Let it be your luck to seek

for a job and that your animals be good.

The findings of this study on the rituals performed for a person who met an accident was

confirmed by Bumatnong.56 He found that a ritual called daw-es is performed for the

purpose of cleansing the bad things encountered. They use a dog as sacrifi-cial animal. The

Igorots of Tabuk also perform the daw-es. Likewise, a dog is used as the sacrificial animal.

House Construction

The Igorots in Tabuk perform rituals in building their houses. Rituals are being held by the

Igorots because of their belief that a house has a spirit or lengab which means there is life.

They have to sacrifice animals to appease the spirit of the house so that nobody in the

family who resides in the house will get sick or encounter bad luck. The rituals performed by

the old intellectual leaders of their tribe are the demeg, bakid, lapsag and kinaw-ang.

Demeg. The demeg is ritual done after the posts of the house are constructed. A chicken is

butchered. The prayer runs this way:56

Na-ay demgan da kas nan manok

Ta’y nalpas nan postin nan baey

Mengasgasing ka ay baey

Man ipogaw ay mangib-bey ken sik-a

Maid kankanan da is ate

Menganakan da ka is an-ak da

Am-in ay talaken da, maid mapispisti.




(Translation)

We offer you this chicken

For the posts of the house are finished

Be happy with it

May the people who stay here

Be always healthy

May they be blessed with children

And may their animals be away from diseases.

Bakid. The bakid ritual otherwise known as the house blessing ceremony is held when the

house is fully finished. Two pigs and a chicken are butchered. Basically the meat of the pig is

to be distributed to the present crowd and for the people to eat. The heads of the pigs are

set aside for lablabi. The relatives, friends and neighbors are gathered during the night of

bakid to sing the ayeng (chant) which is about the betterment or fortune of the owner of

the house.

Lapsag. The lapsag ritual is held after three months from the day the bakid was held. Two

pigs and a chicken are but-chered. The pig’s meat is for bingit and the people to eat. The

heads of the pigs are set aside for lablabi. The findings of Chungalan57 on the practice of the

Kadaclan tribe of Western Mountain Province about house blessing is similar to that of the

Igorots in Tabuk. He said that before occupying a newly constructed house, the kosag or

house blessing ritual is performed to drive away evil spirits lurking around the house. In the

case of the Igorots, they also perform similar ritual called bakid.

Sickness

Before taking a sick person to a hospital, a healing ritual is done first. But after a couple of

days, if the sacrifice seemed to be ineffective, then it is concluded that the ailment is not

caused by malevolent spirits and thus the sick relative is brought to the hospital. Distinction

has to be made from the minor to the serious and prolonged ones in the occurrence of

sickness. A mensip-ok stands as medium on what is the proper healing ritual to be

performed by the family of the sick person.

There are some rituals that a mensip-ok sets to be performed in speeding up the healing or

recovery of the sick person. These are the abat and senga.58




When the abat is being decided to be held, the following are needed: a chicken and a piglet,

one gong, a white piece of cloth about two hands in length and rectangular in shape. These

are to be taken by one or two native priests to one of the segregated place of the

community reserved for the purpose. The animals are butchered and symbolically cooked in

the abat place to serve as sacrifice and to be used in the performance of the rituals. The

white cloth is hanged and attached to a pair of sticks that are made to stand. The gong

serves as a caller for disease-causing dead ancestor. This is beaten two or three times

simultaneously before any invocation which is done to call and plead for the end of sickness.

The invocation must be made aloud by a shouting performer. At the end of the ritual,

everything that was used in the abat place is brought back to the house of the sick person.

Time is the ultimate test if there is a sign of recovery; otherwise a call for another abat is

decided maybe a senga for the sick should be held to complement the abat. As to the senga,

there are two kinds: the sapilada senga and the pagano senga of which a slight difference

can be observed. The kind of senga that is being held for a sick person is decided in the

presence of the community elders in the tribe. In the sapilada senga, the bark of the flag

post where the piece of white cloth is hanged at one end is removed. In the pagano senga,

the flagpole is a slender fine wood with the bark and leaves left intact. A male pig is to be

butchered in the pagano senga which is not necessary in the sapilada senga.

In other phases of the ceremonies, they are basically the same and as usual prayers are part

of them. It has to be pointed out here that when the senga of a sick person is done,

solemnity of the celebration is strictly observed wherein games and merry-makings within

the vicinity of the house are totally restricted.In this study, Chungalan revealed that a

mensip-ok or one who performs the rites diagnoses the sickness of a patient and

determines the ritual to be performed including the materials required. A monfoni performs

the ritual. This is also true among the Igorots in Tabuk. A mensip-ok also determines the

appropriate ritual to be performed as well as the animals needed. The native priest

officiates in the performance of the ritual.

Childbirth

Generally mothers have easy time in giving birth, omanak. The expectant mother, while

delivering should never show any express-ion of pain for it calls the attention of anitos that

would control or delay the birth of the baby.When an expectant mother starts to feel labor




pains, etag (salted meat) is boiled and is kept boiling in order to allow the smell to circulate

within the surroundings. The smell of the boiling pork is meant to announce to the spirits

within the environment to come and assist in the delivery of the baby.

Upon the birth of the baby, the parents and the relatives celebrate a brief ceremony upon

the removal of the cord at which they kill chickens. An old man, amam-a immediately prays

the kidlos to Lumawig. It is a prayer said for the normal growth of the infant. It runs this

way: “Tomob-ey di sosowenan onga, ya menlamlam ninkami mid kankana nan ligat omat

ken dakami.” (Translation: May the child’s milk flow from the nipples, may he live safely,

and may he, like us, not get sick).

A broided cloth is burned continuously upon the birth of the baby to prevent malevolent

spirits in coming near to harm him. As a sign of welcome to the newly born baby, an animal

is butchered. This is called gubgub-ao.

The giving of name to a newly born baby is performed as soon the umbilical cord drops off.

Relatives within the community, neighbors and friends are invited to participate as a gesture

of welcome to the new born baby. The old men bring etag. A chicken is butchered and

cooked with the etag.While the food is being prepared, the grandparents decide what name

is to be given to the baby. It is usually the name of a grandparent or great grandparent that

is given.The cooked meat, a cup of tapey and a bitoto (a rattan woven basket that serves as

a rice platter) of rice are offered to the spirits while the grandparent recites the prayer for

the naming of the child. After the ritual, the visitors eat after which they depart.

Beliefs on ChildbirthThe Igorots in Tabuk adhere to certain beliefs on childbirth. They are the

following:60

1. The father should be at home when an expectant mother is delivering for his

presence hastens the delivery.

2. An expectant mother should avoid quarrels for the hurt feelings of others will cause

her difficulty in delivering her child.

3. A pregnant mother should keep herself busy in order to have an easy delivery.

4. A pregnant mother should select the object of conception to be sure about the

normalcy of the baby.

5. When leaving a baby alone, a bolo or a knife should be placed beside it for

protection from bad spirits that will harm him.




6. When a baby is sickly, the name is changed so that the anitos will be driven away.

7. When a newborn baby cries hard at night, a piece of cloth is burned to drive away

the malevolent spirits disturbing it.

8. When the umbilical cord of the baby is removed, an animal is butchered as a measure

of thanksgiving to God.

9. Upon the birth of the first child, a chicken is butchered in order that the mother will

have more children.

10. Nailing anywhere at home during delivery disturbs the growth of the baby.

11. When a baby is born in the absence of its father, it should be given away to a

relative. If not, the father will soon die.

12. When the first baby is born, the parents and in-laws of the woman will visit the baby

and give gifts whether is cash or in kind so that the baby will have good health.

13. When a child cannot yet walk, his parents tie a piece of black thread around its ankle

when a visitor from far place comes to visit so that he can walk earlier.

The finding of this study on the celebration for the birth of a baby as a sign of thanks for the

safe delivery lends support to the findings of Tovera61 regarding the performance of the

kontad which is a celebration of the newborn baby by the Kalingas. Animals are butchered

for the family members and relatives to partake in. In the same way, the Igorots also

butcher animals to celebrate the birth of a baby.

Marriage

When a man and a woman agree to get married, the girl invites the man to their home and

presents him to her parents for their consent. If the parents agree to their marriage, the girl

and her parents also take their turn in going to the man’s parents for the arrangement.

Some good old men and women are selected to act as sponsors in their marriage.

The venue of the marriage ceremony depends on the agreement of both parties concerned,

but most often this takes place in the house of the bride’s father. As required by law,

Christian civil marriage is a must for them to follow but the celebration is of the old

tradition.

The day before the wedding ceremony, animals are butchered. This is called pota. The meat

of the animals that were butchered is for bingit or is distributed to the crown present and to

their relatives, friends and neighbors of the celebrants.




The giving of the bingit before the day of the wedding celebration is a sign that there is a

preparation for a wedding. The heads of the animals butchered during the pota are set aside

for the lablabi. These are cooked and served to the visitors gathered to spend the whole

night before the wedding to join the singing, chanting and storytelling. During the lablabi,

old men and women sing the liwliwa, a wedding song in which the message is centered on

the inheritance of the couple and how to build a successful and happy family.

The following morning is the wedding ceremony. Before the couple proceeds to the church,

in the early morning between six to seven o’clock, a small pig and a native chicken are but-

chered. This is called dawak. It is an official ritual in proclaiming the wedding of the couple.

Then right after the ritual, a small piece of boiled pork is distributed to those people who

participated in the dawak. This is called libon di dawak.

After the marriage rites in the church, the crowd proceeds to the venue of wedding. Some

practices of other tribes had been adopted like the practice of decorating the wedding place

as well as having a wedding cake.

Food is open to those who wish to eat or in short a big crowd can be fed. The preparation

and serving of food is simple. Improvised utensils are used.

Gongs are played during the wedding celebration. Before the gongs are played and the

people dance, a ritual is performed. This is called tubiag. It is performed by six men who play

the gongs as they dance around three to five minutes. Right after this, daw-es is done,

wherein a small piece of boiled pork and a burning firewood are placed inside the gong

while an old man offers a prayer. This ritual stands as a meeting point of both parties of the

newlywed couple. After this ritual, anybody is welcomed to play the gongs and dance with

them.

People give gifts to the newly married couple. The gift-giving is called supon as a sign of

gratitude while the celebrants give the people a piece of meat each. The meat given is called

simponan. This opens the offering of tapey (rice wine) placed in a beautiful jar called gusi.

A ritual is done before the offered rice wine is served to the visitors. The purpose of the

ritual is to offer a prayer for those who give gifts, the crown, and most especially to the

newly wed couple.




The researcher had witnessed an old man performing the ritual in the wedding celebration

of Moyaen Lupao and Catherine Gomgom-o and had taken the prayer recited aloud that

runs this way:

Tambo! Itambon di maganak ay omanak. Sapay koma ta

dakayo ay ninkasar ilaen yo tano maganak kayo et

menpepgew. Ilaen yo nannay inyanoka na et menpepgew

nan liana, apagilay ket makayat isu nga no babassang

wenno menpepgew da kameda ya mimistiso ya mimistisa

ta siya’y did aka kakaonaan, salabad!

Tidwil! Itidwil ya nan gasta amed-ay baey immali takos

nan kowan di nadadata ay ta tanap. Igasat yo tay anoka

ay ititidwil yon an anika am-in di babaknang di Kalinga ta waday omaponan di an-ak yo.

Tocab! Matocaban nan nemnem yo ya gasat yo ya apat di

noka tapno monokay ma minpat kayo ya matotokaban

nata’y ipati da nan iganak yo menapat. Omat-abes

sinan gasat ay no meniskwela na an-ak yo. Sapay

koma ta wada’y adadas menpinsiyonado ta siya’y di

na natutulungan nan tay naoney kaid waniyet

monan menpakolihiyoy masapol ay libo ya libo nan

masapol sinan iskuwela. Isu nga kanan tako en sapay

koma ta no gumasat nan an-ak yo apo ya menpipin-

siyonado data siya’y di natutulungan da ay meniskuwela

isnan kolihiyo.

Kedse! Kumedse am-in nan anoka ab-abi-ik ay nan dakayo ay

ong-ong-a. Ya am-in nan datako ay nadagop sina ta

mailislisi tako si malaria. Am-ameday immali sinan

te-en di malaria et sapay koma ta mailislisi tako ta waday kasin ragragsak ya ni ab-abat tako.

Hah . . . Hah . . . Hah . . .




(Translation)

Tambo! This is my gift to you. We hope that you,

the newly wed couple will have beautiful children

who are similar to this attractive jar. See to it

that you will bear mestizo and mestiza children.

Salabad!

Tidwil! Give luck to this family who are here in this place

So that their children would mingle with the rich Kalinga people.

Tocab! May the minds of your children be opened so that

they will absorb what is learned. That they may become

scholars so that in pursuing their career they will not have financial problems.

Kedse! Strenghten the health of these children so that they

will not be stricken by malaria since this is a place

of malaria. So that if we are healthy we will meet in

happy occasions the same as this.

Hah . . . hah . . . hah . . .

The old men sing liwliwa during the day of the wedding celebration. As the liwliwa is over in

the afternoon of the in wedding day, kakag di liwliwa is done wherein a small piece of meat

is given to the old man who participated singing the of liwliwa. In the evening of the

wedding day men are gathered and perform the day-eng wherein a group of men and

women sing and dance on the eve of the wedding day.

After three days from the wedding celebration, papa is held. A chicken is butchered. This is a

holiday during the wedding season wherein people are gathered to be feasted by the

marrying couples.

After a week has gone by, pidpidwa is held. One pig is butchered to be eaten by those

people who weren’t able to come during the wedding day and when the papa was held.

Two months after, the lapsag is performed. This is done immediately as long as the couple is

ready. In the lapsag, two pigs and a chicken are butchered. The meat is for bingit while the




heads of the pigs are set aside for the night or lablabi of the lapsag. Again the old men are

gathered to spend the whole night chanting, singing and the story telling.

The last ritual performed is the kinaw-ang. This is an official ritual that ends the wedding

celebration. Two pigs and a chicken are butchered. The meat is for bingit and the heads of

the pigs are set aside for the lablabi.

Beliefs of Marriage

The Igorots in Tabuk adhere to the following beliefs on marriage:

1. The night before the wedding, the couple should not sleep, instead they entertain

the visitors until the celebration is finished to ensure eternal happiness for them.

2. The dropping of objects during the preparation for the wedding especially when the

objects are broken is a bad omen for the marriage. This may mean early separation

of the couple.

3. The eldest child should be the first one to get married. If any of the younger brothers

and sisters will marry ahead of the first child, there is a tendency that the eldest child

can no longer marry.

4. During the wedding celebration, the ganza should be played to signify that the newly

wed couple are Igorots.

5. A newly wed couple should not bathe for three consecutive days after the wedding

so that their animals will grow fast.

6. A newly wed couple should not eat their breakfast and lunch so that the food will be

enough for their visitors. They are only allowed to eat supper when the celebration

is over.

The Igorots in Tabuk are more modernized in the way they arrange marriages. Parents leave

the choice of their children’s life partners to them and consider their children’s ideas

regarding arrangements; however, they give proper advice to their children.

Death

The native term for death is patay or tetey. When somebody dies amon the Igorots in the

community, the friends and most especially the members of the family of the deceased are

immediately informed. The death of one affects the whole family and their relatives. They

all have to observe the ngilin, wherein they abstain from going to work in the fields or from

heavy work. They restrained from traveling to distant places, most especially during the first




day after the death or on the day the body arrives in the community if death happens in

another place. This is not only showing respect for the dead but also a gesture or sympathy

to the bereaved family of the deceased. They are afraid that a misfortune might happen to

them that is why the mentioned beliefs are religiously observed. It is their belief that when

one still goes to farm, the wrath of the dead may befall him as a person next to die. That is

why those who are working in the farm and who are unaware of the death are immediately

fetched home.

As for the dead, the body is cleansed with water after which oil is applied over the body. It is

the practice that this is done by an elder individual or in other cases, by a middle-aged one.

The point is that the person handling the dead must necessarily be older than the deceased.

The dead is clothed with the native costume or white clothes and is made to lie down in a

coffin from the time the baya-o or morning recitals are performed. The head part of the

coffin is elevated a bit facing the one performing the baya-o. The person who performs the

baya-o simply stands in front and with a bodily gesture laments in a singing manner relating

the past of the dead like his good deeds, bravery, romantic exploits like he is invoking the

mercy of the Divine Providence upon the deceased.

During the period of mourning it is observed that people flock to the house of the dead one

after the other. They bring along with them whatever contribution they can afford like rice,

wine, chicken and money. It is an obligation for every Igorot in the community to pay a visit

to the house of the deceased.

The bereaved family has to butcher a number of animals to satisfy the dead because if the

dead is contented, his spirit will come back to ask for more. After some days from the burial

the bereaved family must butcher a pig. This is called the inesa ceremony. After three

monsths had passed from the day of the death of the person, bakid is held wherein three

pigs and two chickens are butchered and distributed to the people. Lapsag is performed

after two months from the time the bakid is held. Two pigs and one chicken are butchered

and distributed to the crowd present. The last ritual is the kinaw-ang which is held anytime

when the bereaved family can make it. Three pigs and two

If the person is murdered, daw-es ceremony is performed wherein the bereaved wherein

the bereaved family will butcher a pig and a chicken as a sign of cleansing the bad luck

encountered by the family. A tangkil and bowaya, liw-liw (leaves), the head of the pig with




an inserted bolo in its mouth are placed in a liga-o (winnower). These are offered while the

old folks say the prayer for the soul of the dead and the misfortune encountered by the

bereaved family.

The following is a prayer recited by Manuel Sumedca, Sr. during the daw-es of the late Dalen

Apil on who died of a gun shot:

Aye-ye-ye! Dinaw-es yo ay kabadi

Aye-ye-ye! Ay kuwa yo’s din anak yo ay kinma-an

Siya’y mangpopok si dapoyo

Ya mangkaan sinan buwisit yo.

Aye-ye-ye! Aga tay nay nan daw-es kayo

Ay sinan kabadi kano ay pinakan yo

Aga ay kowa yo is din anak yo

Et siya na di pangseb yo

Et siya di pangseb yo isnan din

mangengew sinan anak

Aye-ye-ye! Sik-a ay iliw-iliw ma’y nang-am-amis ken

datona

Tamapokaw di buwisit da nenemnem da is

gawis

Sekbabam ay buwaya.

Aye-ye-ye! Nang am-amis ken datona ay sidin anak da

ay tay ay naisgep ka.

(Translation)

Aye-ye-ye! Dinaw-es ay kabadi

Aye-ye-ye! It is your obligation to your daughter

who had passed away

That this will cleanse the bad thing




that happened to your family.

Aye-ye-ye! Aga, now that you performed daw-es

For your daughter whom you had fed

Aga, this daw-es is for your daughter

That this daw-es is what you will use to

avenge her from the person who destroyed

her.

Aye-ye-ye! You discard them

For they destroyed them

So that the bad luck will stop

and good thinking will prevail in them

You will lead them, buwaya.

Aye-ye-ye! You, who had done cruelty to the family

especially to their daughter

Now we entrust it all to you.

Belief on Death

The Igorots in Tabuk adhere to certain beliefs on death. They are the following:

1. For deaths caused by cruelty of men with the use of any sharp weapon or gun, they

let the dead bite a knife before burying him in order to have something to use for his

revenge.

2. A widow or widower should not eat any meat while the body is not get buried.

3. A dream wherein a tooth is removed means death to any of the relatives.

4. When the eyes of the dead are half-closed, he is still waiting for a relative to arrive.

5. If a snake crosses the trail of people who are on their way to a burial, it is an omen

for an untoward incident to happen.

6. It someone dies among the neighbors of a person building a new house, butchering

animals should be done so that the new house will last long and be free from evil

spirits.




7. While preparing for the burial, dropping of objects is a sign of bad omen. Somebody

in the family will again die soon.

8. When the dead is brought to the church and to the cemetery, dogs should be driven

away to prevent them from barking or howling. It is their belief that when a dog

barks, someone within the particular place will die.

9. The coffin should not touch the door while it is being brought out for the burial.

CONCLUSION

Ritual performances are among the practices of the Igorots in Tabuk on accident, house

construction, sickness, childbirth, marriage and death.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Teachers and social workers working among the Igorots in Tabuk should be acquainted with

their practices along accident, house counstruction, sickness, childbirth, marriage, and

death for needed adjustments in the development programs being implemented in the

place and to avoid conflicts in their work.

REFERENCES

1. Jeorge Duclan, an old Folk, 60 years old and a community leader.

2. Santiago Bentayen, an old folk of Appas, Tabuk, 60 years old.

3. Benedicto Bagni, old folk of San Juan, Tabuk, 67 years old.

4. Nicasio, Taclobao, old folk of Bulanao, Tabuk, 96 years old.

5. Manuel Sumedca, Sr., old folk leader, Dagupan, Tabuk 71 years Old.

6. Aurea, Na-oy (Pik-e), old folk leader of Calanan Tabuk, 86 Years old.

7. Maximo Bumatnong, Barangay Captain of San Juan, 60 years old.

8. Chungalan, Dionisio. “The Social Customs and Practices of the Cadaclan Tribe of

Eastern Mountain Province and their Implications to Education.” Unpublished

Master’s Thesis, Baguio Central University, Baguio City, 1998.

9. Tovera, Carmelita. “The Kalinga Folklore and How it Affects Kalinga Folklife.”

Unpublished Master’s Thesis, St. Pail College, 1993.

10. Akiate, Virginia. “Bontoc Tribal Culture.” Handout distributed during the CEB

Seminar-Workshop on Indigenizing the Cordillera School Curriculum held on

September 6-7, 1995 at BSU, La Trinidad, Benguet.

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